It’s easy to criticize, to tell someone “you’re no good”, “you smell like a drain”, “if your column doesn’t sort itself out in the next two weeks, I’m axing it, end-of-story”. But people who say such things, especially the last thing, should look at this week’s parsha, which deals with the Golden Calf.

Yes, I have occasionally lost focus in earlier columns, and yes, sometimes I have moved away from more traditional interpretations in favour of vicious name-calling and savage personal attacks, (more…)

Here’s a thing from the Election Night Special. It was live on BBC2 right after polling closed on the day Tony Blair swept to power. “Things could only get better” was the Labour anthem, though perhaps their initial rewrite of “Things can only get bogged down in half-reforms and a brutally unpopular war which ultimately eclipses any real achievements” would have been more appropriate.

It was only after we finished that we could actually watch the results come in and share in the euphoria (most of) the country was experiencing. I watched the Michael Portillo moment sat on a floor next to Valerie Singleton. Seems right somehow.

Keep a look out for the comedy snooker cue. Definite contender for comedy prop of the series. And don’t forget, kids – DVDs of Uncle Max now available in some shop or other online. Probably very cheaply.